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Jeremiah 31
New Living Translation
Jeremiah 31
New Living Translation
Hope for Restoration
31 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Those who survive the coming destruction
will find blessings even in the barren land,
for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”
3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
You will again be happy
and dance merrily with your tambourines.
5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
and eat from your own gardens there.
6 The day will come when watchmen will shout
from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem[a]
to worship the Lord our God.’”
7 Now this is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Israel.[b]
Shout for the greatest of nations!
Shout out with praise and joy:
‘Save your people, O Lord,
the remnant of Israel!’
8 For I will bring them from the north
and from the distant corners of the earth.
I will not forget the blind and lame,
the expectant mothers and women in labor.
A great company will return!
9 Tears of joy will stream down their faces,
and I will lead them home with great care.
They will walk beside quiet streams
and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my oldest child.
10 “Listen to this message from the Lord,
you nations of the world;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
The Lord, who scattered his people,
will gather them and watch over them
as a shepherd does his flock.
11 For the Lord has redeemed Israel
from those too strong for them.
12 They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem.
They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts—
the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil,
and the healthy flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden,
and all their sorrows will be gone.
13 The young women will dance for joy,
and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.
14 The priests will enjoy abundance,
and my people will feast on my good gifts.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A cry is heard in Ramah—
deep anguish and bitter weeping.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted—
for her children are gone.”
16 But now this is what the Lord says:
“Do not weep any longer,
for I will reward you,” says the Lord.
“Your children will come back to you
from the distant land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future,” says the Lord.
“Your children will come again to their own land.
18 I have heard Israel[c] saying,
‘You disciplined me severely,
like a calf that needs training for the yoke.
Turn me again to you and restore me,
for you alone are the Lord my God.
19 I turned away from God,
but then I was sorry.
I kicked myself for my stupidity!
I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’
20 “Is not Israel still my son,
my darling child?” says the Lord.
“I often have to punish him,
but I still love him.
That’s why I long for him
and surely will have mercy on him.
21 Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
by which you came.
Come back again, my virgin Israel;
return to your towns here.
22 How long will you wander,
my wayward daughter?
For the Lord will cause something new to happen—
Israel will embrace her God.[d]”
23 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say, ‘The Lord bless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!’ 24 Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness. 25 For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”
26 At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet.
27 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah. 28 In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the Lord, have spoken!
29 “The people will no longer quote this proverb:
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’
30 All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.
31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.
33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
35 It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day
and the moon and stars to light the night,
and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.
His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
and this is what he says:
36 “I am as likely to reject my people Israel
as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Just as the heavens cannot be measured
and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,
so I will not consider casting them away
for the evil they have done.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
38 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. 40 And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”
Jeremiah 31
New King James Version
Jeremiah 31
New King James Version
The Remnant of Israel Saved
31 “At (A)the same time,” says the Lord, (B)“I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2 Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when (C)I went to give him rest.”
3 The Lord has appeared [a]of old to me, saying:
“Yes, (D)I have loved you with (E)an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have (F)drawn you.
4 Again (G)I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your (H)tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
5 (I)You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and [b]eat them as ordinary food.
6 For there shall be a day
When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,
(J)‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’ ”
7 For thus says the Lord:
(K)“Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘O Lord, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’
8 Behold, I will bring them (L)from the north country,
And (M)gather them from the ends of the earth,
Among them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child
And the one who labors with child, together;
A great throng shall return there.
9 (N)They shall come with weeping,
And with supplications I will lead them.
I will cause them to walk (O)by the rivers of waters,
In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;
For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My (P)firstborn.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
And declare it in the [c]isles afar off, and say,
‘He who scattered Israel (Q)will gather him,
And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’
11 For (R)the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And ransomed him (S)from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 Therefore they shall come and sing in (T)the height of Zion,
Streaming to (U)the goodness of the Lord—
For wheat and new wine and oil,
For the young of the flock and the herd;
Their souls shall be like a (V)well-watered garden,
(W)And they shall sorrow no more at all.
13 “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old, together;
For I will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
14 I will [d]satiate the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”
Mercy on Ephraim
15 Thus says the Lord:
(X)“A voice was heard in (Y)Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter (Z)weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because (AA)they are no more.”
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Refrain your voice from (AB)weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is (AC)hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:
‘You have (AD)chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained bull;
(AE)Restore me, and I will return,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 Surely, (AF)after my turning, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;
I was (AG)ashamed, yes, even humiliated,
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
(AH)Therefore My [e]heart yearns for him;
(AI)I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.
21 “Set up signposts,
Make landmarks;
(AJ)Set your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
[f]Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
22 How long will you (AK)gad about,
O you (AL)backsliding daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—
A woman shall encompass a man.”
Future Prosperity of Judah
23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: (AM)‘The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and (AN)mountain of holiness!’ 24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and (AO)in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks. 25 For I have [g]satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
26 After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was (AP)sweet to me.
27 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that (AQ)I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass, that as I have (AR)watched over them (AS)to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them (AT)to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29 (AU)In those days they shall say no more:
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30 (AV)But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
A New Covenant
31 “Behold, the (AW)days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that (AX)I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, [h]though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 (AY)But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: (AZ)I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their [i]hearts; (BA)and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for (BB)they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For (BC)I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
35 Thus says the Lord,
(BD)Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs (BE)the sea,
And its waves roar
(BF)(The Lord of hosts is His name):
36 “If (BG)those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the Lord,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”
37 Thus says the Lord:
(BH)“If heaven above can be measured,
And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also (BI)cast off all the seed of Israel
For all that they have done, says the Lord.
38 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord (BJ)from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 (BK)The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath. 40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, (BL)to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, (BM)shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:3 Lit. from afar
- Jeremiah 31:5 Lit. treat them as common
- Jeremiah 31:10 Or coastlands
- Jeremiah 31:14 Fill to the full
- Jeremiah 31:20 Lit. inward parts
- Jeremiah 31:21 Or Return
- Jeremiah 31:25 fully satisfied
- Jeremiah 31:32 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. and I turned away from them
- Jeremiah 31:33 Lit. inward parts
Jeremiah 31
Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 31
Christian Standard Bible
God’s Relationship with His People
31 “At that time”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will be the God of all the families of Israel,(A) and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
The people who survived the sword
found favor in the wilderness.(B)
When Israel went to find rest,(C)
3 the Lord appeared to him[a] from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;(D)
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.(E)
4 Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel.(F)
You will take up your tambourines again(G)
and go out in joyful dancing.
5 You will plant vineyards again(H)
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters will plant and will enjoy the fruit.(I)
6 For there will be a day when watchmen will call out
in the hill country of Ephraim,
“Come, let’s go up to Zion,(J)
to the Lord our God!”
God’s People Brought Home
7 For this is what the Lord says:
Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
“Lord, save your people,(K)
the remnant of Israel!” (L)
8 Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth(M)—
the blind and the lame will be with them,(N)
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!(O)
9 They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.[b](P)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water,
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,(Q)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.(R)
10 Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coasts and islands!(S)
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him.(T)
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
11 for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.”(U)
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;(V)
they will be radiant with joy(W)
because of the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,(X)
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
13 Then the young women will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,(Y)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
14 I will refresh the priests with an abundance,[c](Z)
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Lament Turned to Joy
15 This is what the Lord says:
A voice was heard in Ramah,(AA)
a lament with bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted for her children
because they are no more.(AB)
16 This is what the Lord says:
Keep your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for the reward for your work will come—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return from the enemy’s land.
17 There is hope for your future(AC)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have surely heard Ephraim moaning,
“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined
like an untrained calf.(AD)
Take me back, so that I can return,
for you, Lord, are my God.(AE)
19 After my return, I felt regret;
After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief.(AF)
I was ashamed and humiliated(AG)
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
20 Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me,
a delightful child?(AH)
Whenever I speak against him,
I certainly still think about him.
Therefore, my inner being yearns for him;
I will truly have compassion on him.(AI)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Repentance and Restoration
21 Set up road markers(AJ) for yourself;
establish signposts!
Keep the highway in mind,
the way you have traveled.
Return, Virgin Israel!
Return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you turn here and there,
faithless daughter?(AK)
For the Lord creates something new in the land[d]—
a female[e] will shelter[f] a man.
23 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore their fortunes,[g] they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: ‘May the Lord bless you, righteous settlement,(AL) holy mountain.’(AM) 24 Judah and all its cities will live in it together—also farmers and those who move[h] with the flocks— 25 for I satisfy the thirsty person and feed all those who are weak.”(AN)
26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.
27 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will sow the house of Israel(AO) and the house of Judah with the seed of people and the seed of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear them down, to demolish and to destroy, and to cause disaster,(AP) so will I watch over them to build and to plant them”(AQ)—this is the Lord’s declaration. 29 “In those days, it will never again be said,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’(AR)
30 Rather, each will die for his own iniquity.(AS) Anyone who eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 “Look, the days are coming”(AT)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant(AU) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”[i](AV)—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’(AW) for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”(AX)—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity(AY) and never again remember their sin.
35 “This is what the Lord says:
The one who gives the sun for light by day,
the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar(AZ)—
the Lord of Armies is his name:
36 If this fixed order departs from before me—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
only then will Israel’s descendants cease
to be a nation before me forever.(BA)
37 “This is what the Lord says:
Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below explored,
will I reject all of Israel’s descendants
because of all they have done—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
38 “Look, the days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when the city[j] from the Tower of Hananel(BB) to the Corner Gate(BC) will be rebuilt for the Lord. 39 A measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb(BD) and then turn toward Goah. 40 The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley(BE) to the corner of the Horse Gate(BF) to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”
Jeremiah 31
New International Version
Jeremiah 31
New International Version
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God(A) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor(B) in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest(C) to Israel.”
3 The Lord appeared to us in the past,[a] saying:
“I have loved(D) you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn(E) you with unfailing kindness.
4 I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin(F) Israel, will be rebuilt.(G)
Again you will take up your timbrels(H)
and go out to dance(I) with the joyful.(J)
5 Again you will plant(K) vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;(L)
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.(M)
6 There will be a day when watchmen(N) cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”(O)
7 This is what the Lord says:
“Sing(P) with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost(Q) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save(R) your people,
the remnant(S) of Israel.’
8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north(T)
and gather(U) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind(V) and the lame,(W)
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
9 They will come with weeping;(X)
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(Y) them beside streams of water(Z)
on a level(AA) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(AB)
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:(AC)
‘He who scattered(AD) Israel will gather(AE) them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’(AF)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem(AG) them from the hand of those stronger(AH) than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy(AI) on the heights(AJ) of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty(AK) of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(AL)
the young of the flocks(AM) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(AN)
and they will sorrow(AO) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(AP) into gladness;
I will give them comfort(AQ) and joy(AR) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(AS) the priests(AT) with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,(AU)”
declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,(AV)
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,(AW)
because they are no more.”(AX)
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,(AY)
for your work will be rewarded,(AZ)”
declares the Lord.
“They will return(BA) from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope(BB) for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
“Your children(BC) will return to their own land.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined(BD) me like an unruly calf,(BE)
and I have been disciplined.
Restore(BF) me, and I will return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I strayed,(BG)
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat(BH) my breast.
I was ashamed(BI) and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’(BJ)
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child(BK) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember(BL) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion(BM) for him,”
declares the Lord.
21 “Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.(BN)
Take note of the highway,(BO)
the road that you take.
Return,(BP) Virgin(BQ) Israel,
return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,(BR)
unfaithful(BS) Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing(BT) on earth—
the woman will return to[b](BU) the man.”
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[c](BV) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless(BW) you, you prosperous city,(BX) you sacred mountain.’(BY) 24 People will live(BZ) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.(CA) 25 I will refresh the weary(CB) and satisfy the faint.”(CC)
26 At this I awoke(CD) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27 “The days are coming,”(CE) declares the Lord, “when I will plant(CF) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched(CG) over them to uproot(CH) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,(CI) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”(CJ) declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,
30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;(CM) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant(CN)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant(CO)
I made with their ancestors(CP)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,(CQ)
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband(CR) to[d] them,[e]”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds(CS)
and write it on their hearts.(CT)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(CU)
34 No longer will they teach(CV) their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know(CW) me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive(CX) their wickedness
and will remember their sins(CY) no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints(CZ) the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,(DA)
who stirs up the sea(DB)
so that its waves roar(DC)—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(DD)
36 “Only if these decrees(DE) vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel(DF) ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured(DG)
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject(DH) all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt(DI) for me from the Tower of Hananel(DJ) to the Corner Gate.(DK) 39 The measuring line(DL) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley(DM) where dead bodies(DN) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley(DO) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,(DP) will be holy(DQ) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 31:3 Or Lord has appeared to us from afar
- Jeremiah 31:22 Or will protect
- Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes
- Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
- Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master
Jeremiah 31
Contemporary English Version
Jeremiah 31
Contemporary English Version
Israel Will Return to God
31 The Lord said:
Israel, I promise
that someday all your tribes
will again be my people,
and I will be your God.
2 In the desert I was kind
to those who escaped death.
I gave them peace,
and when the time is right,
I'll do the same for you.[a]
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Will Rebuild Israel
3 Some time ago, the Lord appeared to me[b] and told me to say:
Israel, I will always love you;
that's why I've been so patient
and kind.
4 You are precious to me,
and so I will rebuild
your nation.
Once again you will dance for joy
and play your tambourines.
5 You will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria
and enjoy the grapes.
6 Someday those who guard
the hill country of Ephraim
will shout, “Let's go to Zion
and worship the Lord our God.”
Israel Will Return to Its Own Land
7 The Lord says:
Celebrate and sing for Israel,
the greatest of nations.
Offer praises and shout,
“Come and rescue
your people, Lord!
Save what's left of Israel.”
8 I, the Lord, will bring
my people back from Babylonia[c]
and everywhere else on earth.
The blind and the lame
will be there.
Expectant mothers
and women about to give birth
will come and be part
of that great crowd.
9 They will weep and pray
as I bring them home.
I will lead them
to streams of water.
They will walk on a level[d] road
and not stumble.
I am a father to Israel,[e]
my favorite children.
10 Listen to me, you nations
nearby or across the sea.
I scattered the people of Israel,
but I will gather them again.
I will protect them like a shepherd
guarding a flock;
11 I will rescue them from enemies
who could overpower them.
12 My people will come
to Mount Zion
and celebrate;
their faces will glow
because of my blessings.
I'll give them grain, grapes,
and olive oil,
as well as sheep and cattle.
Israel will be prosperous
and grow like a garden
with plenty of water.
13 Young women and young men,
together with the elderly,
will celebrate and dance,
because I will comfort them
and turn their sorrow
into happiness.
14 I will bless my people
with more food
than they need,
and the priests will enjoy
the choice cuts of meat.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Offers Hope
15 (A) In Ramah[f] a voice is heard,
crying and weeping loudly.
Rachel mourns for her children[g]
and refuses to be comforted,
because they are dead.
* 16 But I, the Lord, say
to dry your tears.
Someday your children
will come home
from the enemy's land.
Then all you have done for them
will be greatly rewarded.
17 So don't lose hope.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
18 The people of Israel[h] moan
and say to me,
“We were like wild bulls,
but you, Lord, broke us,
and we learned to obey.
You are our God—
please let us come home.
19 When we were young,
we strayed and sinned,
but then we realized
what we had done.
We are ashamed and disgraced
and want to return to you.”
20 People of Israel,
you are my own dear children.
Don't I love you best of all?
Though I often make threats,
I want you to be near me,
so I will have mercy on you.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
21 With rock piles and signposts,
mark the road well,
my dear people.
The road by which you left
by will now lead you home.
22 Will you ever decide
to be faithful?
I will make sure that someday
things will be different,
as different as a woman
protecting a man.[i]
The Lord Will Bring Judah Home
23 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, said:
I promise to set the people of Judah free and to lead them back to their hometowns. And when I do, they will once again say,
“We pray that the Lord
will bless his home,
the sacred hill in Jerusalem
where his temple stands.”
24 The people will live in Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. Some will be farmers, and others will be shepherds. 25 Those who feel tired and worn out will find new life and energy, 26 and when they sleep, they will wake up refreshed.[j]
27 Someday, Israel and Judah will be my field where my people and their livestock will grow. 28 In the past, I took care to uproot them, to tear them down, and to destroy them. But when that day comes, I will take care to plant them and help them grow. 29 (B) No longer will anyone go around saying,
“Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a sour taste in the mouths
of their children.”
30 When that day comes, only those who eat sour grapes will get the sour taste, and only those who sin will be put to death.
The New Agreement with Israel and Judah
The time will surely come when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 It will be different from the agreement I made with their ancestors when I led them out of Egypt. Although I was their God, they broke that agreement.
33 (E) Here is the new agreement that I, the Lord, will make with the people of Israel:
“I will write my laws
on their hearts and minds.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 (F) “No longer will they have to teach one another to obey me. I, the Lord, promise that all of them will obey me, ordinary people and rulers alike. I will forgive their sins and forget the evil things they have done.”
35 I am the Lord All-Powerful.
I command the sun
to give light each day,
the moon and stars
to shine at night,
and ocean waves to roar.
36 I will never forget
to give those commands,
and I will never let Israel
stop being a nation.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
37 Can you measure the heavens?
Can you explore
the depths of the earth?
That's how hard it would be
for me to reject Israel forever,
even though they have sinned.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt
38 The Lord said:
Someday, Jerusalem will truly belong to me. It will be rebuilt with a boundary line running from Hananel Tower to Corner Gate. 39 From there, the boundary will go in a straight line to Gareb Hill, then turn toward Goah. 40 Even that disgusting Hinnom Valley[k] will be sacred to me, and so will the eastern slopes that go down from Horse Gate into Kidron Valley. Jerusalem will never again be destroyed.
Footnotes
- 31.2 In the desert … same for you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 31.3 Some time … me: Or “The Lord appeared to me from far away.”
- 31.8 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has “that country in the north,” referring to Babylonia.
- 31.9 level: Or “straight.”
- 31.9 Israel: The Hebrew text also has “Ephraim,” the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel, which sometimes stands for the whole northern kingdom.
- 31.15 In Ramah: Or “In the hills.”
- 31.15 Rachel … children: Rachel was one of the wives of Jacob, the ancestor of the nation of Israel. She was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were the ancestors of the leading tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel.
- 31.18 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 31.9).
- 31.22 I will make sure … a woman protecting a man: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 31.26 and when they sleep … refreshed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 31.40 that disgusting Hinnom Valley: The Hebrew text has “the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the fatty ashes,” which probably refers to Hinnom Valley, just southwest of Jerusalem, where human sacrifices had been offered to foreign gods.
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